Setting a Course for Success

The TYC program, now commonly known as the Ready to Work (RTW) program, is a national youth internship program, which helps to prepare people for jobs in the tourism industry. The program follows emerit training, as put forward by Tourism HR Canada and its provincial and territorial partners. It features a mix of classroom and on-the-job training, which provides people with the skills, knowledge, attitudes and experience necessary for long-term stable employment in tourism – one of Canada’s fastest growing industries.

“I’d never been through a program like TCY before,” explains Brigitte. “It was great. Every day there was something new - like role-playing and public speaking. You never knew what to expect. It challenged you to dig deep, to get in touch with your creativity and your social skills.”

The experience has stayed with her to this day, in part because the program focused on developing her public service skills and building confidence – skills she uses everyday in her career. In addition, her program was geared to bilingual participants, which pushed her to use language skills she learned through French immersion in an unfamiliar, public context. “It was intimidating,” she says, “but it helped me to overcome my shyness.”

The TCY program was a stepping stone to Brigitte’s ultimate goal – a job in hotel management. Following the program, through a series of jobs with increasing responsibility, she has reached that goal. Brigitte is a natural in the hotel business and while she credits her current manager with providing her constant opportunities to learn and grow, she knows that the second-nature skills she learned through TCY were fundamental to her success.

“I love my job. It’s the perfect balance of mental challenge and people interaction. The relationships you build with return customers are like a natural high -- it feels great to come to work everyday!”